Spring Asparagus Recipe with Soft-Boiled Egg, Trout Roe & Butter Sauce

Few ingredients capture the essence of spring quite like fresh asparagus. This elegant dish brings together both green and white varieties, paired with a perfectly soft-boiled egg, a rich chive butter sauce and the delicate salinity of trout roe. Balancing freshness with indulgence, it’s a recipe that celebrates the season at its peak - ideal for a relaxed spring lunch or a refined Easter table.

Why White Asparagus is a Spring Delicacy

The white asparagus is sadly not as popular here in the UK as it is in Europe. As the white asparagus grows, it is covered with soil, protecting it from sunlight and therefore halting any photosynthesis, creating a slightly more bitter profile than its green counterpart. Cooking the white asparagus with the sugar, butter and lemon helps to balance the bitterness and enhance the beautiful nutty, herbal flavours. It is also incredibly good for you, with lots of antioxidants and vitamin C.

Method

1. Begin by cooking the eggs. Prepare a bowl of ice water and keep to one side. Bring a medium size pan of water to the simmer. Gently lower the eggs into the water and simmer for seven minutes, then remove and place into the ice water to stop the cooking. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then gently peel the eggs and keep to one side.
2. To prepare the white asparagus cut off the woody base, usually around 1-2 inches, and peel from the tip of the spears all the way down to the base, removing the fibrous, tough skin.
3. Bring a pan of water to the simmer, just enough to submerge the asparagus spears and add the 50g of butter, the sugar, salt to taste and the juice of half the lemon. Gently simmer the white asparagus spears for 6-12 minutes, depending on the thickness, until nice and tender. When almost ready turn off the heat and allow the asparagus to finish cooking in the water.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the green asparagus. Trim off the woody base and blanch in well-seasoned, rapidly boiling water for 3-4 minutes, again, depending on thickness. Once cooked, remove and chill in ice water.
5. For the butter sauce, gently sweat the shallots in a heavy bottomed pan with a touch of olive oil for 2-3 minutes without any colour. Add the white wine vinegar and simmer until nearly completely reduced. Repeat with the white wine. Add the cream and reduce by half.
6. Whisk in the cubed butter a little at a time until you have a rich glossy sauce. Pass through a strainer and add a squeeze of lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Cover the sauce and keep in a warm spot. Do not allow the sauce to cool and the butter will set.
7. To plate up, arrange the asparagus spears evenly between 4 plates. Cut the eggs in half lengthways, season with salt and pepper and arrange on top of the asparagus spears.
8. Gently warm up the butter sauce, but do not boil. Add the roe and a tablespoon of chives, then generously spoon over the asparagus and eggs.